December 2019 marks the beginning of the new European Commission lead by President Ursula von der Leyen. Some months ago, in July 2019, von der Leyen put forward her agenda for her term of office. In the document with the ambitious name “A Union that strives for more – My Agenda for Europe” von der Leyen outlines her ideas for the next five years in office. We very much support the fact that the first of the six main topics she focuses on is ‘A European Green Deal’.

In this section, von der Leyen stresses the importance of tackling the global climate crisis and sees Europe as the leader of the transition. She starts by proposing that Europe is supposed to be the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. To reach this goal, von der Leyen pledged to propose a European Green Deal in her first 100 days in office, together with Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.

Considering the urgency of the current situation, it is of the utmost importance to take a clear stand. Already now, humans suffer the immediate effects of climate change, as for example 764,000 people were displaced due to droughts in 2018 and 17.2 million new displacements can be related to disasters in almost 150 countries. Serious measures of all actors must be taken.

Generation Climate Europe believes that comprehensive and strong measures must be taken in order to fight the climate crisis we are facing right now and its ominous prospects. Only by committing to strong policies, limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial standards will be possible. The focus on the current climate emergency should not only be in the hands of environmental entities, but should be mainstreamed in every action the European Union and its member states undertake.

Therefore, Generation Climate Europe demands that:

• The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, walks the talk by proposing within her first 100 days in office a truly ambitious European Green Deal which ensures that the European Union hits the target of a climate-neutral continent by 2050
• The Green New Deal is constructed and implemented taken into account the voices of the younger generations, by putting in place a structured Youth Climate Dialogue that ensures youth inclusion in EU climate change policymaking processes.